A Shadow Drenched In Blood
by LightDarkandChaos
Summary: A mysterious cat, an unexpected kidnapping, and a bloodthirsty if childish vampire prove yet another headache for Shadow... Discontinued, up for adoption.
1. Chapter 1

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 1

A Shadow In The Night

It started out like any other night walk. Shadow stepped swiftly across the silent street. The Crimson Sea lapped just loud enough to be heard in the silent night. This was the time to be out, when the sounds of the day faded and died away, leaving the almost silence of night. The two moons, one red and one silver, shone bright against the sable sky. Suddenly, Shadow felt something. Without questioning his instincts, he stepped to the right faster than the night wind that whistled around him. A gunshot tore the silence, and a bullet streaked through the place where Shadow had just been standing. He didn't question or hesitate. Shadow simply reacted to the shots that were being fired straight towards him. He dodged to the right again, then whirled low. He thought about using Chaos Control, but decided against it. He needed more concentration than he could spare right now to use Chaos Control.

A rain of gunfire approached him, and he moved faster in effort to escape the fire. He saw through the almost darkness like midday, and spun around. He landed just as the next wave of bullets hit. It took almost 3 seconds for his left leg to erupt with internal fire. He glanced at it. It was bent unnaturally, and a wet gleam showed where the bullet had hit. _Damn it,_ he thought angrily. Shadow slowly rose to his feet, stubbornly ignoring the pain in his left leg. The bullet had only skimmed it, and he could feel it beginning to regenerate already.

Shadow's sharp hearing detected the sound of reloading. The hidden snipers were good aims. He had to get away before they reloaded. He turned and streaked towards the sound of the gentle waves. After a moment of silence, the black clad snipers broke cover, following the trail of blood Shadow left behind. The snipers moved slower than Shadow, but not by much. The broken leg slowed him down substantially. Shadow heard footsteps behind him and accelerated a bit. _My leg can't take much more of this, _Shadow thought. Abruptly he turned and raced towards the group of thinly armored soldiers behind him. The soldiers were taken by surprise and reacted a bit too late. Shadow smashed through their hastily prepared guard and hit the first three with a flying kick, sending them into the ranks behind them. The leader stopped to regain order among the troops. By the time she succeeded, Shadow was racing at a little over 60 mph towards the Crimson Sea.

"What are you standing around here for, idiots! He's getting away!" The leader yelled, smacking one of the soldiers with sharp claws.

The soldiers abruptly stopped milling around and ran after him. Shadow turned to face them near the edge of the cliff that overlooked the Crimson Sea. The soldiers appeared an instant later just beyond the beginning of the cliff. The leader paused for a moment, signaling her minions to halt for a while. She removed her coal black helmet, revealing a small orange cat with black stripes across one eye and 2 golden hoop earrings in her right ear. Shadow knew her. She was known as Dark Fire, a mercenary who'd do anything if she was paid for it. Recently she and several others had been hired by an unknown villain. Their faces had been all over the news for the last few weeks. Her employer was known only as the Master. It was said he was addicted to the taste of blood, that the remains of his victims had been drained of it. However, no matter how hard they searched, there was no sign of him on Mobius, except his victims.

"Well, you certainly gave us quite a chase, Shadow. I haven't had so much fun in a long time." Dark Fire spoke lightly, smiling.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Dark Fire!" Shadow snapped. He was not in a good mood right now, and his already small patience had shattered a while ago. Running and fighting had slowed the healing process on his leg, and blood dripped from the wound onto the stone. If it had been broken before, it was shattered now.

"You know, up close you aren't bad looking." She sighed. "Why do I always get the cute ones? At least I don't have to kill you like the last one. And to answer the question, I'm finishing what I've been hired for. Seems the Master wants to see you."

"I thought you were supposed to be one of the best mercenaries, not crazy. I could Chaos Control any moment." Shadow lied. His chaos energy was being used to regenerate his shattered leg at the moment, but he didn't want her to know that.

"I've been watching you for a while, Shadow. I know you've been working on greater control of your abilities, but you can't teleport while you're regenerating."

Dark Fire drew a large pistol, aiming it at him. "Now, we can do this the easy and painless way, or the hard and rough way." Her smile was filled with malice and her amber eyes gleamed wickedly.

"If you've studied me as well as you claim to have, you should know the answer." Shadow edged almost imperceptibly towards the cliff edge.

"I'm not surprised. I'll try not to hit your pretty face."

Five shots in rapid succession hit Shadow in the chest. The force threw him from the cliff to the waves below, leaving a trail of blood that hovered briefly, then followed him down, dyeing the Crimson Sea the color of its name.

"That wasn't supposed to happen!" Dark Fire's amber eyes widened in shock.

Had the hedgehog wanted to be pushed off the cliff? Nothing could survive like that! Unless…

"Get down to the shore line!" She barked at her stunned minions. "If he's really the Ultimate Life Form, he can handle this. If he can't, we've got the wrong hedgehog!" Dark Fire leapt past her soldiers and raced to the shore line. There was still hope for this mission.

Shadow hit the water with barely a ripple. The salt water burned the bleeding hole in his chest and his shattered leg. The water around him filled with blood. Now the Crimson Sea really is crimson, he thought wryly. Shadow stopped breathing before the water dragged him downwards. He'd timed this fall well. It was high tide at the deepest part of the Crimson Sea, and the currants were at their strongest. He would have to wait for a while, but the salt water should clean off any infection, and here, once he had a barrier set up, he could fully concentrate on healing. Shadow tensed for a moment, then relaxed as a round shield of yellow streaked green sprang up around him. A surge of exhaustion always followed erecting a barrier, so Shadow didn't worry when he first felt it. Besides, a little tiredness was trivial compared to the gunshot wounds on his chest. The shattered leg was pulling together nicely, and Shadow's red eyes glimmered with satisfaction through the bloody waves. But the weariness grew instead of fading away quickly. It seemed to stem from the healing hole in Shadow's chest. Soon, he had to fight to think clearly. _Those bullets must've had some sort of tranquilizer. They really were prepared for everything… _Shadow's eyes slowly shut and he went limp, but the barrier held, preventing the currants and the sea's creatures from getting too close.


	2. Chapter 2

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 2

A Shadow Beneath The Waves

Dark Fire flicked her tail impatiently. 3 days searching and there was no sign of the target. She sighed and recalled the Master's exact words to her.

"His name is Shadow, but he is also called the Ultimate Life Form. He's fast, and he can use a variety of energy attacks. I want him, preferably alive, but dead if necessary. You know what to do, Dark Fire."

Dark Fire sighed again. Sonar was next to useless in this situation. What she really needed was something that could detect a specific mobian. She sighed. It looked like they were never going to find him.

"There's something come up on the sonar, Commander! Looks like it's got a definite trace of life, too!" One of her soldiers, a male rat, raced up to Dark Fire in excitement.

"I'm on my way!" Dark Fire dashed to the sonar room on the submarine. She skidded to a stop just outside and schooled her face into one of casual unconcern. A commander had to look cool at all times, after all. She entered the room and asked the sonar operator what was on the screen.

"Commander, there's something radiating the same energy the target does. It's bigger than the target, and round in shape. It seems to be anchored to the seabed." Dark Fire licked her lips in anticipation. The target had been found at last!

"Dive to it. Prepare the suits. Gather the divers," she ordered three young recruits in one breath.

Her tail flicked back and forth. Soon, she could return to the Master with the target and claim her reward. She felt the submarine begin a steep decent and smiled happily.

Shadow drifted in and out of consciousness. His leg had healed some time ago, and his chest barely stung in the salty water. Suddenly, Shadow felt something. _Sonar! They found me ! _Shadow was still fighting the effects of the tranquilizer and couldn't physically escape. Instead, he slowed his heartbeat until it stopped, and he no longer had a pulse. He hadn't breathed since he'd fallen into the Crimson Sea, which now lived up to its name. Hopefully, if anyone managed to break the barrier, they'd think he had died. With that in mind, Shadow drifted back into sleep.

Dark Fire slipped into her wetsuit like a glove. She fastened the oxygen tank securely and dove through the open hatch into the scarlet waters below. The divers hit the water just after her, always staying just behind her. After all, a commander must be first. She could see quite clearly without a mask, and the wetsuit was simply there because she had no desire to get her pretty orange fur wet. Dark Fire looked at the glowing barrier with interest. _Is this really where he's been? _She wondered. _And if it is, is he even alive after all this time? All the waters in this sea are red with blood now. If he isn't the Ultimate Life Form, he'll be long dead from blood loss and being shot. _Dark Fire signaled one of the divers to come forward.

"Try to break it physically. If it doesn't work, I've got a backup plan." She spoke through the communicator that they all had in their helmets.

"Yes, Commander."

The divers gathered and began to test the barrier, then throw themselves at it. The barrier stood firmly against their efforts. Dark Fire watched with a growing frustration.

"Stop." She ordered finally. "I'll have to try something else."

The divers backed away gratefully, wincing at new bruises. Dark Fire swam forwards until she could touch the barrier, and lightly tapped it. Nothing happened. She reluctantly opened the small diving bag she'd brought with her and took out five metal objects, one much bigger than the others. She lightly touched the large one to the barrier. For a moment, the barrier flamed high, then it flickered and vanished. Dark Fire recoiled in surprise. She had not expected that to work, and yet it had. As she put the objects away, she made a mental note to revise her opinion of magic. Dark Fire swam into the area the barrier had been protecting. Her keen eyes scanned the sea bed, searching for a black shadow. There it was. Dark Fire dove until she was less than a foot away from the motionless hedgehog lying half curled on the sea bed. She studied him carefully. The leg that had been broken was whole again, and all that remained from the bullet wounds she'd inflicted was a light scratch. He wasn't breathing, and when she reached out to him, she felt no pulse. _The water must be interfering with the readings, _Dark Fire thought, rolling her eyes. _He has no pulse, he's not breathing, that barrier meant he couldn't have moved for 3 days, and the scanner says he's alive. It must be broken._

She reached out to grab him and stopped suddenly. His eyes were slit open, and they gleamed with what could only be hate. According to her scanner, he was beginning to reach for chaos power.

"Now, now, we can't have that, Shadow. Settle down and go back to sleep," Dark Fire murmured. His red eyes seemed to mock her.

"Why do you always choose the hard way?" she sighed and removed a syringe from her diving bag.

She carefully inserted it into a vein and watched as his eyes shut and he went limp. A strange emotion took hold of her. Somehow, he seemed vulnerable and exposed like this. No wonder he rarely slept. It seemed to strip away the years from him, revealing the child he had been before G.U.N. had come. Dark Fire shook her head, shoving those emotions away. She took out the metal objects, and snapped the small ones around Shadow's wrists and ankles. The larger one she fastened securely around his neck. As she carried him back to the submarine, she mentally reviewed the various damages to the target. _Backlash shock, internal bleeding, two different tranquilizers, oxygen deprivation, and who knows what else. The target should be able to recover in the time it'll take to get to the master._ Dark Fire surfaced in the open hatch and climbed out wearily.

"Stop fussing and help me carry him!" she barked sternly, pulling at the unconscious Shadow.

He was heavier than he looked. As she peeled off the wetsuit, Dark Fire had to wonder at the difference between waking and sleeping on his calm face.

"We found what we came for. Let's get back to the Master," she ordered, trying to throw off the strange feelings that the sleeping target had evoked in her.

_I thought I was rid of them years ago. How did he bring them back? No matter, I'll just get rid of them again._ She knelt over the target and fasted chains to the shackles she'd already fastened on his wrists and ankles. She left the collar unchained for the moment, as the target was still unconscious. Dark Fire turned and watched as a shadow opened in the water in front of the submarine. She smiled with delight as the submarine entered the shadow, vanishing from Mobius. The shadow shrank and faded behind the submarine, leaving nothing to suggest it had ever been there at all.


	3. Chapter 3

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 3

A Shadow In Chains

Shadow fought his way back to consciousness with a grim determination. From what he could tell, he was lying on his side, half curled into a ball. He felt an unaccustomed weight and slit one of his eyes open. After his vision adjusted to the bright submarine interior, Shadow risked a glance at one of his wrists. A steel shackle gleamed in the harsh light, a heavy chain attached that kept him in the same position. Shadow knew without looking that his other wrist and ankles were similarly bound. Cautiously, Shadow reached for the green and yellow spark that was Chaos. It vanished. _Damn. Must be the shackles. Looks like I'm not going anywhere right now. _The pain in his chest was completely gone, and he glanced at it. There was flawless black fur with an unruly white tuft, but no sign of the bullet hole. _Looks like I'm only blocked from using Chaos deliberately, or I'd still be bleeding. There's some good news at least._ Dark Fire leaned over him, a curious gleam in her amber eyes.

"Awake already? I'm surprised. You really can't be up yet. We're almost there, but not quite. Be patient. The Master admires patience."

Dark Fire twitched her tail restlessly. None of the other targets had regained consciousness until the Master had forced them awake. This Shadow had fought the tranquilizers and woken up twice since he'd been targeted. And now, though he was chained to the floor and one wall, he looked at her like he was in charge. Dark Fire gently inserted the syringe she'd been holding into the target's arm. For a moment his scarlet eyes mocked her, then they closed and his tense body relaxed. She turned and walked to the navigation room of the submarine.

"How much longer until we get there?" she asked for the third time in 15 minutes.

"Approximately 2 and a half minutes, Commander," the Navigator replied nervously.

Dark Fire was known for sudden mood swings when she was surprised or upset, and this target had succeeded with both. As a result, everyone was trying to stay clear of the irritable Commander until they reached the Master's stronghold. The Navigator sighed with relief as the Master's base came up on the radar.

"Commander, we'll be reaching the base in approximately 30 seconds."

Approximately 30 seconds later…

Dark Fire swished her tail nervously. No one could ever be prepared for meeting with the Master, and she wasn't completely sure that her job had been completed correctly. The target was mostly unharmed, almost recovered from backlash shock, still fighting 2, maybe 3 different tranquilizers, and she wasn't sure how tightly she was supposed to fasten the shackles and collar. If it was supposed to be secure but not painful she'd be fine, but if it was supposed to be painful, she had a problem. Dark Fire took a deep breath and schooled her thoughts and appearance into a calm mask, then walked into the Master's base, with only the tip of her tail reflecting her unease.

Dark Fire strode confidently into the Master's throne room. Seeing as he'd conquered his dimension, he really did need a throne room, but maybe not a throne made of steel with diamond inlay, she thought wryly. _And lining the throne room with ebony? Ick! And the gold paneling HAS to go. But it's not my throne room, and I'm not going to comment. _She wove between the various servants in the doorway and knelt before the Master, noticing as she did so that the rich, fluffy carpet had acquired a few dozen more large blood stains.

"You may rise, Commander Dark Fire." The Master's voice was like no other. It held darkness, thunder, and deepest despair all at once. Within were countless screams of agony, and the promise of more to come. It could also be mistaken for a whiny kid's voice at first.

Dark Fire stood and looked up at the creature seated on the very tacky and over sized throne, waiting to be asked how the mission had gone. The creature seated on the overlarge throne was a small chocolate brown fox that looked about 10. His hair was light brown, and brushed his eyes slightly, while hanging in a thin ponytail in the back. His too big red trench coat matched his gloves, and big black boots poked out from pants several sizes too large. His shirt was as black as the lower half of his belt, while the upper half was red and decorated with a small skull that matched the earring in his right ear. A small gold cross glinted from around his neck. His eyes were a clear baby blue, adding to the impression of youth in his face. But the expression on his small face was pure, undiluted evil. At least, that's what he claimed it was. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the servants.

"Was the mission a success, Commander Dark Fire?" the Master asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"If the target was the one black and red hedgehog on the other Mobius that could survive being shot 5 times in the chest, bleeding enough to die a small sea red, staying underwater without breathing for 3 days, and heal almost any wound within a few days, then it was a success, Master," Dark Fire replied in a slightly bored voice.

"I trust you have the target with you? What are his statistics?" The Master leaned forwards slightly. If the target was correct, he should be alive no matter what he'd been through. If he wasn't, Dark Fire had made her first mistake in five years of service.

"Alive, suffering from backlash shock, tranquilized, chained, and unable to draw on Chaos. Unconscious as of 2 minutes ago." Dark Fire spoke quickly and clearly, her ears twitching for a moment.

"Excellent. Bring to me A.S.A.P." The Master rubbed his small hands together in anticipation. Even fate itself could not stop him now.

"Which room, Master?" Dark Fire leaned forwards slightly.

"The one I just finished. I had it specially made for him." The Master hopped down from his throne and walked into a wide hallway, beckoning for her to follow.

Dark Fire slipped through the corridor, trying her hardest to keep a straight face when she saw the décor. It was hilarious. Vampire overlord the Master might be, but he had no sense of taste whatsoever. The Master tripped over his trench coat and fell, flattening out on the ground. Dark Fire gave him a hand getting up, and they resumed walking. The Master halted in front of a large iron door, which had clearly been decorated by a childish but twisted mind. He placed one small hand on the door, and it swung open. Dark Fire shuddered. She'd never gotten used to the sight of such a small child using unnatural strength before her eyes. That door must have weighed at least 50 pounds, and the Master opened it with a single touch. That was just unnatural, and Dark Fire doubted she'd ever get used to it.

The Master walked into the dimly lit room, blinking as his sensitive eyes adjusted to the change. He ran his tongue over his pointy eyeteeth, which were more like fangs, as he surveyed the room around him with approval. Chain sockets on the wall, iron maiden in the corner, nice fluffy carpet on the floor, fire heating iron pokers and other sharp things, that room was an evil overlords dream come true. _Most mobians would freak out seeing this place,_ he thought happily. _But the one who'll be staying here should've seen worse already. _The Master swished his tail, wincing slightly at the sound of boots when Dark Fire entered after him. The main reason he'd installed the carpet was for comfort, as he didn't like getting cold toes. The other reason was an attempt to stop the sound of footsteps on the stone floors that didn't have carpets yet. _It might have been a better idea to make sure the royal castle had carpets before claiming it as my base, _he thought, rolling his eyes. That was another thing he'd have to add to his list of 'Things That Other People Do That I Don't Understand.'

"I trust the target will be sent over quickly?" the Master asked innocently, looking at the shadows caused by the flickering fire.

"I've sent the co-ordinates already, Master. The target will be here in roughly 30 minutes, unless the delivery boys get lost." Dark Fire flicked her ears nervously. The Master seemed to be two people at once, somehow. It was unnerving to watch the young child intersect the evil vampire. She turned and watched the door, tapping one foot softly.

Roughly 30 minutes later…

The Master looked at the mobian hedgehog chained before him with surprise in his eyes. _This is the one who was foretold? _The Master turned, tripped over his trench coat again but caught himself before he fell. _I can't wait to be tall enough that I'll never trip over this thing again._ He sighed and tried to salvage what remained of his pride.

"The wall is waiting. I'd suggest chaining the collar this time, as he'll be waking up soon." The Master tried his hardest to look taller and older and dangerous, but spoiled the effect by sneezing. "Someone just said something bad about me, I know it."

"Master, out of curiosity, what's the code you use for unexpected sneezes?" Dark Fire asked, swishing her tail.

"One sneeze, someone's saying a bad thing about you. Two sneezes, someone's saying something good about you. Three sneezes, someone's saying they love you to someone else. Four sneezes, and you have a cold." The Master replied cheerfully, his eyes bright with anticipation of the fun that would follow. _I wonder what the Ultimate Life Form's blood tastes like…_


	4. Chapter 4

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 4

A Shadow Of The Truth

Shadow stalked the dimly lit corridors of his mind, seething with rage. How had he been so careless that he hadn't heard a small army creeping up behind him? How had Dark Fire learned so much about him without alerting him to her scheme? And who was the Master anyways? _Damn tranquilizers. Should be wearing off soon. How the hell did Dark Fire get a hold of shackles that prevent me from using Chaos? What did she mean when she said the Master wanted to see me? And why go through all the trouble of taking me alive when it would be so much easier to just kill me? Even I couldn't stand against a bomb. I would've died re-entering the atmosphere if I hadn't used Chaos Control. _Why had Dark Fire taken him alive on the Master's orders? There was no sane reason unless… Shadow felt a touch of dread creeping his mind. Unless the Master didn't want to kill Shadow, as he had the others. Unless the Master wanted to break him.

Dark Fire stood, her tail flicking idly. According to her scanner, the tranquilizers were wearing off and Sha-the target-would be regaining consciousness shortly. The Master had asked her to stay in a way that reminded her strongly of a childish display of triumph. She had, of course, obeyed. Dark Fire glanced away from the limp black and scarlet hedgehog that was chained to the wall. The look of innocence on his still face was contrary to everything she'd seen when he was awake. His eyelids flickered suddenly, drawing her gaze right back to him. _The target's waking up. Amazing. With all those tranquilizers in his system he should have been out for at least another hour. He truly seems to be the Ultimate Life Form._

Shadow's sight adapted to the dim lighting in a matter of moments. Judging from his position, he'd been chained to a smooth stone wall. He kept his eyes half lidded, as there was no point in inviting trouble if he didn't have to. They'd figure out that he was awake soon enough.

"The target's awakened, Master," Dark Fire spoke in a slightly bored voice, her tail twitching slightly.

Shadow's gaze shifted to the figure she'd addressed. The Master looked back, matching his baby blue eyes against Shadow's unnatural red. Neither blinked or looked away. This continued for about 30 seconds.

"You're taking this a lot better than the others. They all had some kind of complaint about being kidnapped on the orders of a kid." The Master broke the silence, his voice echoing through the stone dungeon.

Shadow remained silent, his ears pricked for the slightest sound. His unwavering gaze never left the Master's face.

"Did you permanently damage his vocal cords when you shot him or something?" the Master asked Dark Fire, his eyes wide and innocent.

"No, she managed to hit my heart 5 times and my leg once," Shadow growled, glaring at the cat in question. "Great aim, unless she was trying to kill me."

"I wasn't. The Master told me not to," Dark Fire replied, keeping her voice even and icy cold.

Her tail began to twitch nervously. _Was I supposed to say that? _

The Master stared incredulously at the hedgehog, who glared back. Shadow acted like he was the one in charge, despite being chained 10 feet above the dungeon carpeting. The Master had built a walkway all around the dungeon that could be changed at his whim. Currently, his walkway put him at eye level with the prisoner and 5 feet away. Looking at the hedgehog, the Master was secretly relieved that he'd decided to shackle Shadow directly to the wall rather than hanging him from it. _If I had, he'd have found some way to break the chains, I just know it._

"If she had been aiming to kill you, she'd have been punished," the Master said cheerfully, his eyes bright. "And judging by what I know about you, you'll be wanting answers as of 3 days ago."

Shadow acknowledged the question silently. _Where did this 'Master' learn so much about me?_ He thought, narrowing his eyes. _And why are his clothes way too big? They look like an adult's size._

"Also fitting your personality, you're not going to ask for them. So I'll just cover the main points. The reason you can't draw on Chaos is because of the shackles and collar, but you probably figured that out already. The reason I know so much about you is because I've been watching you for a while, and the reason you're here is a secret!" the Master spoke in a very cheerful voice.

Shadow narrowed his eyes and stared at the Master like the fox was a complete idiot. The Master flicked his tail and stepped off the platform. After landing lightly on his feet and tripping over his trench coat again, the Master picked a short spear from the fire. He turned, holding the heavy weapon with one hand, and leapt back to the walkway. Only the smallest flickers in a pair of scarlet eyes betrayed Shadow's interest.

"I really don't like people looking at me like I'm crazy," the Master said, hurling the spear at the shackled hedgehog.

It struck just below the white tuft on Shadow's chest. He barely even flinched. The Master smiled happily. _Finally, a toy that won't break when I play with it! _

"Master, I'm sorry to interrupt, but according to your schedule it's bath day." A grey fox with a long white scar across her neck poked her head into the room, her ears flicking to catch all available sound.

"My least favorite day of the month." The Master sighed and walked towards the door, stopping to pick himself off the floor again. Dark Fire followed him, her tail swishing with anxiety. The grey fox closed the door after them, their footsteps echoing through the room.

Shadow narrowed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain. He shifted slightly, the spear clattering against the stone wall. Sounds carried from the rooms above his prison, including, "Ow! You got soap in my eyes on purpose!" and, "Please stop squirming, Master! You're not making this any easier!" Shadow laid his ears back in the almost universal sign of annoyance and waited. _Somehow I think I'll be doing a lot of waiting for a while._


	5. Chapter 5

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 5

A Shadow Remembered

Dark Fire walked sedately into the dungeon, her tail flicking across the floor. A day had passed since the target had regained consciousness, and she wanted to see if he'd survived the night. The Master had 'forgotten' to return to the cell last night, and hadn't removed the spear. _I'll be surprised if he's still alive. _A pang of sorrow coursed through her with that thought. She stopped and shook her head, driving the offending thought from her mind. _I don't know him. He's just another target. There is nothing special about him, other than what the Master has planned for him. __**He means nothing to me.**_ She resumed walking, speeding up a bit to keep up with the fox ahead of her.

The Master reached the dungeon door and stopped, waiting for Dark Fire to catch up with him.

"It's a pity you came in so late. We could've had a lot of fun if you'd arrived earlier," he remarked.

Dark Fire held her tongue, as she was quite sure she didn't want to hear the Master's definition of 'fun'. She watched, her tail twitching, as he effortlessly pushed the heavy door open. Her eyes took a moment to adjust as she followed him into the cell. _Does he really have to light the whole place with torches every 35 feet? I'm a cat, and I still can't see a thing when I come in! And the fact that this place is practically underground doesn't help. _Her eyes adjusted to the dim light quickly, and she scanned the wall for Shad-the target.

"Hey, who turned off the lights?" the Master complained loudly.

Dark Fire heard a shuffling noise, a thud, and a curse as the Master picked himself up off the floor again. Then she was temporarily blinded as the filled with light. _I didn't know he had fluorescent lights installed here, _she thought as soon as her vision cleared.

"Found the light switch," the Master declared triumphantly.

Dark Fire glanced towards the wall and froze for a moment. Sha-the target-was lying limply, pinned to the wall by the spear. His black fur was smeared with blood, and his were eyes shut like he was sleeping. There was no pain on his still face, but there was no innocence either. For a moment, Dark Fire felt a rush of overwhelming despair. Then his scarlet eyes snapped open, glaring at the Master with undisguised hatred.

"I trust you enjoyed your stay?" the Master asked, grinning wickedly.

Shadow glared at the creature that was responsible for a night of trying to forget that he was being impaled by a spear with a murderous hatred. The Master backed up several steps, breathing deeply. _You're a vampire overlord. You are in command here. He's chained to the wall. He can't hurt you. _

"I'll take that as a 'no'."

"Lucky guess," Shadow growled, his scarlet eyes blazing with fury.

"It was not a guess. It was a logical conclusion, given the way you were looking at me," the Master said, recovering his dignity.

Shadow rolled his eyes disgustedly. _Is he for real? _

The Master looked at the hedgehog on the wall before him with disbelief. _Is he for real? No one makes me feel like a little kid! No one! Why isn't he scared? Why isn't he screaming? Why is he glaring at me with that defiant look in his red eyes? I wish I had red eyes. Red eyes are cool. Getting off topic here._

"Well, this is just great. My prisoner isn't afraid of me, those damn rebels are striking against me, there's a spy somewhere in my fortress, and I don't know where my teddy bear is. Nothing good has happened this whole week!" he ranted, throwing his hands in the air.

"Master, the target was successfully captured," Dark Fire pointed out, hiding her relief that Shad-the target was still alive.

"Okay, one good thing happened this week. And hopefully, this one good thing will lead to lots of other good things. But right now, I want my spear back." The Master walked to the very edge of the platform and grasped the blunt end of the spear protruding from Shadow's chest.

He pulled the spear out, hefting the bloody weapon easily, though it was twice his height. Shadow didn't flinch at the sudden pain, though blood dripped freely on to the carpet. His eyes burned into the Master's baby blue ones relentlessly. The Master responded with an excited smile as he tossed the spear aside and drew 7 small daggers from the pockets in his coat.

"Dark Fire, hand me the paint."

Several minutes, paint stains and curses later, there was a rough target painted on Shadow's white fur. The Master shook red paint from his gloves, wondering how the hedgehog had managed to reflect the streams of paint back at him. Dark Fire had run for cover after the first time the Master had gotten paint in his eyes, and emerged slowly from behind a rack. She winced at the state of the cell. Red paint was absolutely everywhere, and judging by the looks on the faces of the target and the Master, their tempers had shattered a while ago. _I'm really glad I don't have to clean this up. _She rubbed a spot of paint on her shirt and watched as the Master aimed the first dagger.

Shadow laid his ears back at the sound of metal in metal as the first dagger glanced off the shackle on his right hand. The second dagger hit his left shoe and bounced off. The third dagger missed him by 2 feet, sticking itself into the stone wall.

"You really need to work on your aim. Even Dark Fire's aim is better than yours." The Master glared angrily at the hedgehog's mocking tone and hurled the fourth dagger at the dungeon ceiling. It fell back down and landed just in front of him. Dark Fire tried to stifle a snicker, failed, and turned it into a cough. The Master glared at her anyways.

"You really shouldn't insult the mobian that caught you," Dark Fire said, her tone icy cold.

"If I'd had a bit more warning, you wouldn't have." Shadow's tone was even colder.

"I'm the bad guy here. Stop ignoring me," the Master complained loudly.

The hedgehog shifted his piercing gaze to the fox, who smiled brightly. "Much better. Now then, dagger number 5 is coming right for that target!"

The dagger buried itself deep into Shadow's right ear. The hedgehog didn't even wince. His scarlet eyes narrowed themselves even more. The sixth and seventh daggers dropped, forgotten, as the Master stared hungrily at the blood dripping from Shadow's ear.

"I'm hungry. Dark Fire, tranquilizer, now." The orange cat approached the hedgehog with a syringe, pushing it into his immobilized arm. Dark Fire tried not to look at the effect it had on him, tried not to see the target involuntarily relax. She failed, and turned away from his accusing half open red eyes.

The Master stepped off the platform and on to the air around it. He floated towards the half aware prisoner, blue eyes gleaming brightly. Then they changed, the pupils narrowing to vertical slits. He opened his mouth slightly and ran his tongue across his eyeteeth, which were more like fangs. _Aware of what's happening but unable to do anything about it. Perfect. _He floated to the semi-conscious hedgehog's wrist and pushed it against the wall, sinking sharp little fangs into the main vein. Blood ran across his tongue, and he stopped caring about anything else.

Shadow struggled against the haze the tranquilizer had caused. Pain shot through his left wrist, followed by a very odd sensation. His blood was running directly to the wound, as though something was drawing it out. He felt his strength flee his body as his vision turned dark around the edges. The haze grew thicker, clouding his mind. _What the hell is happening? My blood-like it's alive! What the hell did he do to me? _With that last thought, the darkness surrounded him again.


	6. Chapter 6

A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 6

A Shadow of the Future

The Master pulled away from the motionless prisoner, licking up the last drops blood from his teeth. The wound on his wrist no longer bled. Astonishingly, the black and red hedgehog was still breathing shallowly. _I drained almost all the blood from his body, and he still lives. It's amazing, this power. And it will be MINE. The perfect power source. And with the shackles, I won't have to store the power gathered somewhere else! It's like he was created with me in mind. _The Master smiled happily and floated back to the walkway where Dark Fire waited, her amber eyes fixed on the levitating platform.

"Spell book, please," he asked her, his eyes shining cutely.

"Which one?" she asked, ignoring the prisoner.

"The black and red one with the white lock."

Dark Fire walked over to a large gothic bookcase and pulled the correct book from the shelf. She tossed it lazily to the Master, who caught it easily. He flipped through the pages, looking for one he had nearly memorized. _There it is!_

"Okay, obsidian knife with a silver hilt that was forged under the full moon, check. New moon outside, check. Diagram of mystical symbol, check. Rubber gloves, check."

"Rubber gloves? What kind of spell components are those?" Dark Fire interrupted.

"They're to keep his remaining blood off my normal gloves. Do you know how hard these are to clean? But it'll be worth it, once I'm big enough to look cool in them." The Master sighed dreamily, his blue eyes unfocused.

"Master, he's going to regain conscious soon. If you want to be able to start the spell without having to injure him first, you'd best start now."

The Master flattened his ears against his head. "Who are you, my mother?"

"No, I'm your subordinate, Dark Fire. And I suggest you get going before he wakes up."

The Master grumbled a bit and floated over to the unconscious hedgehog. After a bit of fumbling, he held the knife to Shadow's chest and began to carve an odd symbol. Small red lines and little trails of blood stained his white fur. Every few seconds, the fox glanced at the diagram he was holding in his other hand to make sure that he was following the design correctly. He finished the symbol and floated back a little, an evil smile on his face. The lines began to glow brightly until the light filled the room, temporarily blinding Dark Fire and the Master.

Dark Fire blinked, spots appearing in her vision. When they cleared, she saw the symbol had changed. It was now etched in dull black lines. They drew her eyes towards them.

"All right! Success! The hard parts over!" the Master jumped 7 feet into the air and tried to flip. He landed on his back with enough force to shake the platform.

A low chuckle echoed through the room. The Master looked up from his vantage point on the floor at the chained hedgehog. Shadow stared back, smirking.

"Did you just laugh at me?" the Master asked, his eyes wide.

The smirk was answer enough. The contemptuous look was overkill, and Dark Fire could tell just by looking that Shadow knew it. Equally obvious was the fact that he didn't care. The Master climbed slowly to his feet. His eyes were blazing with fury.

"NO BODY LAUGHS AT ME AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" he yelled, slashing the prisoner's chest with claws that poked out of the tips of his gloves.

The smirk vanished, replaced with a grimace of pain. The Master slashed him again, across the shoulder this time. Dark Fire shuddered as she saw that the pattern if the symbol was still there, under the fur. _Even the blood from the pattern is black. _The Master continued to vent his anger on the prisoner, ignoring the fact that most of the wounds he caused had little to no blood spilling from them. He paused, panting heavily. The black and red hedgehog had shut his eyes tightly, grimacing. A large area of fur and skin had been torn away, revealing the flesh underneath. The fury in the Master's eyes died, replaced by a cruel smile.

"I see. I thought the fight was over, but it is just beginning. You are strong to be able to hold your suffering within. We'll just have to see who's stronger." The Master said softly, gently caressing the older mobian's face.

He turned and walked to the weapon rack on one wall. He hefted a large, heavy, iron mace, then tossed it back on to the rack. After similarly discarding a crossbow, a quarterstaff, the bloody spear he'd already used, and a really big hammer, he chose a katana(a Japanese samurai sword, FYI) and turned back to the prisoner.

"Tell me if this hurts, it means I'm doing it correctly." He smiled wickedly before stabbing the point of the sword through the back of Shadow's hand.

The hedgehog winced a bit, then opened his eyes in a mocking glare and said, "A little to the left. Right now you're not giving me the maximum amount of pain possible."

"Thanks for the tip. Everyone else started screaming hysterically at this point, and they never once had reasonable suggestions." The Master moved the sword an inch to the left, leaving a healing hole where it had been.

The hedgehog winced a bit more, a bit of the scorn fading from his eyes. Suddenly his eyes widened with shock as green-gold energy began to course through his body. The Master jumped back from the glowing, writhing hedgehog, smiling in anticipation.

"Master, the symbol!" Dark Fire exclaimed in shock.

The energy was gathering in the prisoner's chest area, and the black lines of the symbol stood out clearly. As the cat watched with growing disbelief, the energy drained into the thin black lines. She blinked the spots from her eyes and gasped. The very beginning of the first line was glowing with energy. _So that's what he's using to store the blood magic-power. _She winced in sympathy for the black hedgehog, shocked into motionlessness by the power being stored in him.

"What…the hell…did you…do to me?" Shadow forced the words out with difficulty, a crackling sound echoing in his voice.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. After breakfast." The Master's smile would've been childish if it didn't clearly reveal his fangs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry about the severe lack of updates. I was sidetracked, and then my muses decided to go on strike. Updates on this story will not occur as often as before, but it is not dead. Now, on to the chapter!  
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A Shadow Drenched In Blood

Chapter 7

A Shadow Of Revelation

Shadow looked impassively at the fox rummaging through a large, grey freezer, his fluffy tail flipping around wildly. He started to sigh impatiently, thought better of it, as his voice still crackled, and settled for rolling his eyes. One of the Master's ears flicked back, catching the beginning of the sigh. He made a mental note to get rid of the crackling side effect as soon as possible. The hedgehog seemed to have an inability to pass up a chance to make a smart remark, even if it led to pain, and not being able to understand half of them was getting annoying .

"Okay then, type AB or type O?" he mused aloud, looking at the thin plastic bags filled with blood that filled the inside of the freezer.

"I'd suggest going with O today, Master. It has a calming effect on you, and I believe that you're going to need it." Dark Fire gestured towards a group of bags.

"Good idea. I doubt that he'll be any more cooperative today than he was yesterday." The Master took one of the bags out, opened it, poked a straw in, and started to drink.

He turned and closed the freezer, trapping the end of his trench coat inside, and tripped. The fox growled and flung the freezer door back open, tearing it off its hinges and sending it flying against the opposite wall. The Master turned with a sour expression on his face to see Dark Fire doubled over in helpless laughter, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm sorry, Master. The look on your face was-" She stopped as another wave of laughter hit.

The Master sighed and took another sip._ Judging by the snickering and crackling coming from behind me, Shadow thinks it's funny as well. I can't wait until people actually take me seriously. Looks like it was a good idea to take O. Otherwise, I'd be having a hissy fit and making a bigger fool of myself._

"If we're through having fun at the vampire overlord's expense?" he asked icily when Dark Fire had managed to stop her laughter.

"5 more… minutes and… I'll be fine." The Master sighed again and turned to face the snickering prisoner.

"Allow me to clarify: stop now or I'm bringing out the poetry." He had the slight satisfaction of seeing the hedgehog turn white under his fur and shut his mouth immediately.

_I suppose there are some good things about not being able to write a decent poem that doesn't start with 'roses are red'. Still, I hope it'll go away once I mature. It's embarrassing._

"So, I believe I owe you an explanation about the kidnapping thing," the fox said, his eyes once again filled with childish innocence.

Shadow nodded ever so slightly, not trusting himself to speak without insulting his captor. _As satisfying as it might be, it would also be painful when he figured out what I said. I know pain very well, but we have never gotten along._

"I don't think he's going to answer you, Master," Dark Fire said, her stance and tone of casual unconcern ruined by the nervous flicking of her tail.

"Looks like he's as fed up about the crackling as I am, hm?" The Master asked, fixing his eyes on the symbol standing out against the white fur.

Shadow drew back the corners of his mouth in a soundless snarl. He hated being stared at, being patronized, and having his opinion decided for him. _Especially when it's guessed right._

Dark Fire found herself looking at the dark hedgehog, his put out expression seeming somehow familiar to her. _I know I've seen that before… But I don't remember where, or when. If I don't remember it, it probably isn't important. But it's still probably going to bug me until I remember. _She sighed softly, her ears flicking back.

"Nothing was wrong with this life before he came," she muttered.

"Did you say something?" The Master asked, his voice misleadingly innocent.

"No, Master."

"I didn't think so. Pass me the book, please." The fox turned his childish gaze back to the chained hedgehog, who returned it evenly.

Dark Fire walked over to the bookcase and retrieved the black and red book, tossing it over her shoulder. The Master caught it and began to riffle through the pages until one caught his eye. The orange cat noticed Shad-the target attempt to see what had the vampire overlord's attention without drawing attention to himself. She smiled slightly, watching from the corner of one eye. The smile faded when she realized what she was doing. _What's wrong with me? You'd think he was my little brother by the way I'm acting!_

"Components… Theory… Instructions… Ah! There's the description of various side effects!" The Master grinned happily, placing one hand on the page.

The hedgehog's ears flicked forwards, betraying his interest. Dark Fire walked over to the Master, maintaining a façade of casual unconcern.

"Hmm… No sudden colour changes." The Master looked up as though daring the chained hedgehog to refute his claim. As no complaint came, he looked back at the book and continued.

"No, that's not it. Nope, not that either. I'm quite relieved it wasn't that," the fox said, blanching slightly.

Dark Fire stopped pretending to examine her immaculately trimmed claws and stared at the childlike vampire. _I don't want to know what he just read. I don't want to know what could make the Master blanch like a little kid learning he's going to like girls in the future. I don't want to know, and I pray that I never find out. Ever._

"Ah! Crackling whenever the subject attempts to speak!" the fox cried triumphantly, instantly attracting incredulous stares from the other inhabitants of the room.

Dark Fire sighed, smacking her forehead. _I could have taken the offer to guard the cherry shipment, but no, I had to take the 10 year old vampire up on his offer. What was I thinking?_

"Hmmm. Well, that might be a problem." With those words, the Master found himself the center of attention once again.

"What… might be… a problem?" Shadow asked warily, forgetting the annoying crackling for the moment.

"This is caused by an excess of energy stored in a living being. The effect lasts about a week," the Master said, his brow furrowed slightly in concentration.

"How is that a problem, Master?" Dark Fire asked disinterestedly, her tail curling around her feet.

"Because it takes about a week for the trapped energy to destroy the victim from within."

A heavy silence followed the fox's announcement. Shadow sighed, slumping against the wall. _Great. Just when I thought my life couldn't possibly get any worse._


End file.
